The heart of life
by SasukeTanteiPHlover
Summary: What is life, really? Must we judge the standard of living by how one dresses, acts, and eats? What is a human and what isn't human? Young Oz Vessalius must ponder these questions and more as he wonders why he has so many enemies in this new world...at least his dad Jack is by his side. AU of PH, some scenes in the manga may or may not happen.
1. Chapter 1 Jack Vessalius

**A/N:I got this plunny from a dream I had last night, and it would not let me go. This will be extremely AU, so Jack won't be evil-anything that happens in the manga will probably be different here than how they originally are handled by Jun Mochidzuki. Well, I have nothing more to say than the fact that I do not own Pandora Hearts or its characters. **

* * *

Chapter One: The search for identity

It was a glorious day in the history of the world; well no more glorious than the rest of the days that passed in the world since it was made. However, there was something very special about today that for the mind of a certain human being made it all the more joyous. For today was an occasion unlike any other.

This human being was a man unlike any other. His name was Jack Vessalius, and he was a rich man, however he did not happen to be one of the kinds who would think themselves better than everyone else simply because they happened to have more money. He wished for a kinder world where everyone could get along and everything would always be all right. Alas, that was merely idealistic thinking, he knew. But still, the human mind loves to dream and linger in fantasies as long as they live.

Jack had long blond hair that he usually kept tied back in a ponytail. It was almost the same color as the sun itself and in fact, Jack's personality was a lot like the sun-he could be sunny and friendly and cast a warm veil of light over everyone he met, and at other times his mood could be cloudy and overcast. His eyes were a warm emerald green much like the gem, and they could sparkle at times and then darken depending on his mood.

At the present time, Jack's thoughts were not on his appearance, however, he had other, more concerning matters to attend to. His son was waiting for him, as today was a very, _very _special day. It was his son's seventh birthday, and today he had promised to get him something very nice. Now what that something nice ought to be was beyond him. He had already gone through a long, exhausting search today for something good for his son and had failed. However, he had FOUND a few nice young ladies...but maybe that was something that his son wouldn't appreciate until he was older.

Suddenly, he bumped into someone. He immediately got up and said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going-"

"Damned straight you weren't, you stupid idiot-oh, Jack, I'm _so _sorry! I had no idea it was you!" The evil female voice continued on and on until Jack flinched upon realizing that this female was...someone very dangerous. This woman had pink hair and red eyes that were full of delight right now as she chattered on and on about how nice the weather was, how she had gone shopping for the best dresses, and how cute Jack was. In short, she was a terrifying woman.

"Jack, are you even listening to a thing I'm saying!" The demon incarnate shrieked, before spinning Jack around to face her. He flinched upon realizing that now she looked absolutely delighted upon seeing how startled and utterly terrified he was.

"No...I stopped paying attention once you opened your annoying mouth." He said bluntly, and smirked upon seeing her jaw drop nearly ten feet before she regained control over her mouth.

"J-Jack, how dare you say something like that! Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?" She asked.

"Lottie, it is really none of your concern as to what I am doing. Now please step aside. I have important matters to attend to." Jack said coldly.

She smirked. "Oh, is it all for _him? That freak? _The little coward you call a son? Is that why you're in such a hurry? Have you ever seen the things the nobles say about him? They whisper every time he comes down the street. Rumor has it that he's not really human at all, but some kind of demon!"

"Don't speak about him in that manner! He is...my son! Oz is not a demon!" Jack yelled before nearly slapping Charlotte in the face. Somehow, he managed to regain control of his senses before he saw that a certain raven-haired man was staring at him with cold eyes as he walked down towards the pinkette.

"Charlotte, are you all right? Did Jack tease you again? You know better than to pick on Jack's son. What did I tell you about your foul mouth?" He said coldly, but somehow there was a gentle undertone to them, almost a fatherly sort of tone. He turned to face Jack with a faint smile present on his lips. "Jack...how is Oz?"

Jack smiled then. "He's waiting for me right now at home. I can't find him anything he could possibly want! Believe me, I've tried!"

Glen, or rather, Oswald, sweatdropped. Was this really what troubled his old friend so much? Children could be such a pain, or else they were something you both strove to protect to the ends of the earth or something you wished to destroy.

"Jack...don't worry about that. The very fact, that you care enough to try to get him something, should be enough for him. Besides, the fact that you are still around to care for him when his mother is long dead...will also be a comfort for him." He whispered softly.

Jack smiled while Charlotte just looked furious.

"Glen-sama, do you mean to say...that you...like that little freak?"

Charlotte did not expect to be struck in the face by none other than...her precious Glen-sama, but it happened.

"Glen-sama..." Charlotte moaned, clutching her cheek.

"Forget that you insulted him, Charlotte. I don't want to talk to you for a while." Glen mumbled. When Charlotte didn't move from her spot, he glared at her. Then, she got the hint and turned away from them and ran.

"Jack, go on home. I'm sure Oz-kun is lonely and wants your attention. "

* * *

Oz Vessalius sighed as he sat on his bed, clutching a stuffed rabbit to his sides. He was completely and totally..._bored. _He had played with both of his friends today, he had read all of the Edgar Knight volumes and had to wait for more to come out, and not only that, his dad wasn't even back with his gift for him yet.

"Honestly, when will he come back, Edgar?" He moaned to the rabbit doll in his arms, which only stared at him with its lifeless, dull eyes. He smiled then, imagining that the thing had actually spoken to him in the nature that most children have: the power to imagine things that happen when they don't actually happen or exist.

"You're right. He will come back soon. Otousan will come back soon: he promised me. At least he isn't mean to me like the rest of the world is. Why do they treat me so badly?" He moaned. His doll didn't reply, of course. Oz fidgeted in his bed, and thought over the idea once or twice of actually going to sleep, but discarded those thoughts. The need to be with his father was the only thing that mattered more than anything in the world. He didn't care about anything else.

The rest of the world, for some reason that he couldn't understand or comprehend, hated him. They called him a demon, an outcast, a horrible thing. A man named Xai had once told Jack that he thought his son was extremely ugly and hideous. That man had been punished, Jack had told him. Jack had slugged him in the face.

He was only an innocent child, for god's sake! So, why, why _why did they have to label and judge him? _These questions kept on rising to the top of his young and precocious mind no matter how many times he tried to suppress them.

Little did he know that his life would soon be changed forever...


	2. Chapter 2 Shadow

**A/N:Glad to see that some people are happily supporting me on this story! I have only read the first ten volumes of Pandora Hearts, so maybe some of my information isn't entirely up to date, so correct me if I am wrong on anything! I know that Oz is the B-rabbit, blah, blah, blah, but that will be explored later on. Some things will not happen like I said before. **

**Chapter 2 Shadow**

* * *

Here she was, all alone. She was always living this way, as long as she could remember. She was always by herself, even though her doll friends were by her side and Cheshire was as well, she was always alone. Not in the physical sense, though. To put it better, she desired true companionship. As much as she liked her dolls and her cat, they didn't replace real, living, breathing humans whom she could talk to and relate with. Fortunately, at least Jack, Glen, and Oz visited her. Jack hadn't been by in a while, though.

She wondered just what he was up to, though. Oz had promised her a couple of days ago that he would visit her and so far he hadn't lived up to his promise. He hadn't stayed by her side. Was it possible that even Oz would see her for a freak and ditch her? No, that was impossible. The young girl wrapped her mind around a mental image of the young boy. His sparkling green eyes were filled with such warmth and purity that it was hard to not get enthralled by their gaze. He was by far one of the best playmates and friends she could have ever wanted. After all, those mean boys Gilbert and Vincent were never that nice, either.

But what she really wanted to do was see Jack. The other side of _her _wanted to see him badly, too. _She _always talked about him, too. That made her jealous.

_I wish Oz would just hurry up and come here already. I'm tired of waiting for him to show up. _

_**Are you certain that he hasn't abandoned you? You are a freak! Anyone can see that he probably prefers me over you!** _

_Shut up, Intention of the Abyss. Keep your filthy hands off of Oz. _

**_How do you know he hasn't given up on you? You're not like me! I'm much better than you, Alice!_**

_Don't talk to me. Just go away. Jack doesn't want to see you, either. _

_**How dare you insult me! Jack would love to see ME! Me, me, me, me, me! Say, I wonder if he's coming now? I hear someone coming. I think it's that nasty brat Vincent, I think it's Vincent, I think it is.** _

_How do you know? _

_**I can tell. You see, he has a filthy odor. Even down in HERE, I can smell his depravity coming no matter where he goes**._

* * *

Alice sighed and stopped talking to the other side of her. The other side of her was the Intention of the Abyss, a being that controlled the abyss and only had eyes for Jack. The two of them never really got along, but they agreed to exchange bodies every once in a while. Intention, or Alyss, as she called herself, would get to be with Jack (and sometimes Oz) and Alice would entertain the dolls down in the Abyss. Alice didn't really like the Abyss that much; she much preferred being back in the tower where she could have Cheshire, Oz, Jack, and real humans for companionship. However, when she was in the Abyss, she didn't have to worry about Vincent or Gilbert coming and being mean to her. The plus side was that the Intention of the Abyss hated Glen and she loved seeing how defensive she got whenever he showed up at her door. Jack already knew about the entire thing.

Oz didn't know a thing about the Abyss or the fact that there were two girls with the name of Alice. He simply assumed that she was just whimsical, like an ordinary child. Of course, he was only seven years old, so it wasn't like he was old enough to understand those sorts of things yet. Perhaps when he was older, he would meet the OTHER Alice. She had met him before, but he had no clue who she was. She preferred to keep it that way. If Oz found out, she would most likely lose one of her closest friends.

The Intention of the Abyss loved making her life hell. Every time she came, something would go wrong that she wouldn't be informed of until she got back to her body-one of her dolls would be missing because Alyss had broken it, Gilbert would be threatening her saying that she said something nasty about Vincent when Alice didn't even remember saying such a thing. She was used to having two sides of herself now. It was odd how one could grow accustomed to something extraordinary if they dealt with it for a long time. For example, if a human could lose an arm in an accident, they could get used to going without their regular arm like it was nothing.

She sighed as she heard the footsteps the Intention of the Abyss had mentioned come up to where she was and then the door swung open to reveal the _last person _Alice ever wanted to see-that stupid boy with one red eye and golden eye standing there. There was an evil grin on his face like always-when _wasn't _there one on his face, though? She frowned at the vile kid in front of her. "What do you want, Vincent?" She growled, putting her hands on her hips.

* * *

The odd-eyed boy smirked slightly upon seeing her angry face. That was the creepy thing about Vincent, Alice thought-he got a kick out of seeing people get scared or become upset when he taunted them. Yet his brother Gilbert acted like he was a saint who had never done anything wrong any time Alice had tried to explain that Vincent had started everything. So if there was one thing that both she and the Intention of the Abyss actually agreed on, it was the fact that they...

"...I'm allowed to come in here if I want to. We're such _good friends, aren't we?" _He said, putting a lot of emphasis on the word _friends. _His eyes flitted around to each shelf where Alice's dolls were all lined up neatly, each of them staring at him with wary, anxious eyes. Though they were inanimate, they were very much alive-each of them had their own feelings and could talk if they wanted to-it sounded so contradictory, she knew, but it was the truth. "What a nice collection of dolls you have here, Alice. Perhaps these are your _only _friends. You're such a freak that it's no wonder why nobody likes you. Your friend Oz is such a loser! Why does he even come to play with you, anyway? Oh, I know why..._because he's a freak, too!" _

…...both _really hated Vincent. _Both of them would be very happy if he died. The Intention of the Abyss would often tell her how many ways she came up with in her mind to kill Vincent, torture him, or maim him. Alice refrained from such things, but seriously the boy drove her up the wall. And it seemed like he was coming by more often, much to her horror. Sometimes he had even been here when Oz had been here and had picked on him, too. But if there was one thing she could never forgive, it was anyone picking on Oz.

"Shut up, Vincent! Get out of here this instant! You have to obtain permission before coming in here, you know! This is _my _room, not your playhouse! Now beat it before I tell Jack on you." She threatened, though she knew it would do no good. Nothing really scared Vincent, and that was his problem-he was too conceited, too arrogant for his own good. One of these days, something bad would happen to him because of his arrogance and she hoped she could actually witness that scene. It would be ever so delightful.

He shook his head in disbelief. "What made you so grouchy, my dear Alice? I came to tell you something very important about your dear little friend Oz. Want me to tell you why he's a reject of society and why everyone hates him so much? I'll tell you why-it's because he's..."

But before he finished his sentence, Cheshire came towards him and hissed. Cheshire then decided that it was time to defend his master, so he sunk his claws into Vincent's leg. Vincent shrieked in pain and tried to pry the feline off his leg, but to no avail. Cheshire continued digging in and wouldn't stop, so Vincent decided to take matters into his own hands-he grabbed the feline and flung it away from him. Cheshire went flying and hit one of the shelves, knocking a few dolls over and breaking some.

Alice screamed in terror and instantly rushed over to Cheshire's side. "Don't hurt Cheshire!" She exclaimed. She glared at the child sociopath, who trembled slightly. She knew he was in pain, but she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him, because after all, he had hurt her poor cat many, many, many times.

**_That's what he gets for messing with us..._**

"Shut up." She growled under her breath. She did not like the fact that _she _kept on sticking her nose in situations where she did not belong. "Go away and stop haunting my mind."

The only response she got was a high-pitched laugh that sent shivers down her spine. It was by now a well-known fact that anything and everything in the Abyss was insane, but the Intention of the Abyss was by far the most demented girl Alice had ever met, and the fact that she was related to her really scared her. Even Glen Baskerville couldn't stand her, and that was amazing, considering how intimidating he was in appearance and manner. However, he was kind to her, though it wasn't very kind of him to lock her up here all the time and never let her out to see the outside world.

"Vincent, are you in here again!?" A high-pitched voice cried. Alice's fists tightened. Wherever the annoying, bratty boy was, inevitably his babyish, overprotective older brother would follow. She despised Gilbert very much, and could not understand how or why he was Oz's best friend. Sure enough, a familiar black-haired young boy came running in, but he froze as he took in the scene-broken dolls on the floor, along with an angry Alice sulking over by the window holding her cat, and...a wounded Vincent, who was whimpering and holding his injured leg and trying to prevent the blood from seeping down onto the floor.

Instantly, his first thought was that Alice had done something to him. Fury rose up inside him and before he knew it, he raced over to his brother's side and put his arms around him. "Vincent, what's wrong?"

* * *

His younger brother stared up at him with sad eyes and looked like he was almost about to cry. "Niisan, I just came in here to talk to Alice and she got mad at me and her cat attacked me. Now my leg is hurt and it's all her fault!" His bottom lip trembled as tears threatened to spill out of his eyes.

Gilbert's eyes narrowed as he turned to stare at Alice. "Did you do this to him?" He asked coldly. When she refused to answer him, his fists tightened even more. "I said, _did you do this to him?" _

Finally, she turned to face him, her purple eyes full of anger. "No, he started it by intruding in here when he's not wanted. You two can't just come in here and do as you like. You have to ask for permission."

"It's Gilbert. Gilbert is here! How we hate him!" One doll, a blond-haired girl shouted.

"Gilbert is a meanie who likes to pull Alice's hair! Gilbert is a big crybaby!" Another, a black rabbit, taunted.

"Gilbert needs to leave! Gilbert needs to leave!" All of them chanted. Alice, or rather..._Alyss, _grinned evilly at him as she turned to face him. An insane smile made its way on her face. "_You heard them. You have to leave. You can't just come in my sister's room without asking."_

"Your...sister? What are you talking about?" Gilbert asked in utter confusion. Was this girl schizophrenic or something? Perhaps she was even crazier than he imagined. He never knew that she was this crazy. "Anyways, you hurt Vincent really bad! You need to apologize!"

"_Cheshire did it because he was bullying my sister. Therefore, he deserved it_." Alyss said, turning to face him. She pushed a piece of her brown hair out of her face and smirked at him. There was something unsettling about her presence today. She seemed more...talkative and creepy. For some reason, she didn't seem like the quiet, friendly girl who was driven to tears every time he pulled her hair.

**"Say, do you think _Jack _will come today? I've been waiting for him! I sure hope _Oz _comes as well. Then we can all have tea, we can play the piano, and we can play with my dolls all day! Say, why don't we kill Vincent? That would be very fun, right, my beloved dolls? What do you say, Black Rabbit**?" She said, moving a few tables. The dolls started chanting along with her, including the Black Rabbit:

"Kill Vincent! Chop his ears off!" The Black Rabbit shrieked.

"Why don't we boil him alive in a pot?" A doll suggested.

"Interesting suggestion. However, I highly doubt Jack will be able to carry something like that with him. Why don't we just cut him to pieces!" Alyss chirped happily.

"W-What's wrong with her? She's mad!" Vincent exclaimed.

* * *

Before they could do anything else, the door opened to reveal two figures: Jack and Oz. Both looked very shocked upon seeing the insane rambling of the dolls. Instantly, the dolls started chanting happily.

"It's Jack! Jack is back!" The same blond-haired doll chanted.

"Yay, Jack is back!" Another one exclaimed.

Alyss's face brightened upon seeing Jack standing there, so she charged straight at him and engulfed him in a death hug, much to Oz's shock. Oz stepped backwards, not sure what to say or how to react. "Oh, Jack, I've missed you soooo much...oh, hi there, Oz."

Oz blinked for a few moments before he finally gained the courage to speak or even say anything at all. "Alice...is it just me or is there something different about you? Oh, hi Gil!" He cried, waving at the black-haired boy, who smiled slightly. Oz's eyes widened as he took in the injured Vincent and the hissing cat that was now by Oz's side.

"Cats are drawn to me." He said before smiling and trying to pet Cheshire-but upon seeing Cheshire bare his fangs at him, he backed away. "Maybe Cheshire's not in the best of moods today."

Jack frowned. "Hey, Alice. You two switched places again, huh? I thought as much the second I walked in here. Alice doesn't usually talk so loudly."

Oz frowned. "What are you talking about, Dad? She seems just like she always does." He said, before walking towards Alice. To his surprise, she frowned at him for a moment before she smiled.

"My sister has told me so much about you!" She cried.

"Your...sister? You have a sister, Alice?" Oz stammered.

"Oh, Vincent, why don't I give you a bandage and treat that cut of yours? You and Gilbert should get going." Jack said gently.

"But I wanted to say hi to Oz-" Gilbert said.

"Was that why you came down here? I wonder if that's the truth." Alyss said, smiling evilly. Vincent shivered slightly. This Alice creeped him out. He wasn't sticking around. Fear was a rare thing for Vincent Nightray to admit to having.

"Let's go, Gil."

"See you later, Gil!" Oz said naively, waving at his friend, who waved back sheepishly before exiting.

"I wonder what sort of mischief they were up to." Jack said to himself before turning to "Alice." "Well, well, have you gone and traded places with Alice again?"

"Dad, what do you mean by traded places? She still looks like the same Alice I know." Oz remarked in confusion before glancing at his father.

"Well...it's hard to explain, Oz. There are two beings known as Alice. One lives up here, and the other...lives down in the place known as the Abyss."

"No way! I thought that that was only a legend! Cool!" Oz cried.

"Well, one has brown hair and the other has white hair. They both have the ability to trade places with one another. So the one you are seeing right now is The Intention of the Abyss, or Alyss as she calls herself." Jack said.

"Hello...Alyss." Oz said sheepishly. "Intention of the whatchamacallit sounds really, really, long and hard to say. I'm Oz."

"I know. Alice told me all about you. I'm Alyss. Nice to meet you, Oz."

Alice frowned as she sat in the Abyss. "Damn you, Alyss. I don't want you playing with Oz."


	3. Chapter 3 Vincent

**A/N:Nice to see all of you readers again!**

**Chapter 3 Vincent **

* * *

Vincent frowned as he and his brother headed back home after their attempts at scaring Alice had failed miserably. His gaze went to his still bleeding leg, which he rubbed slightly before wincing at the pain it gave off. Damn animal. He hated animals with a burning passion, especially cats. Cats seemed to hate him. Especially that one. He hated Cheshire. He hated Alice as well.

He hated everything about that vile girl from that house she lived in to the dolls she called her own. That girl was the devil incarnate; he was certain of that. But Jack and Glen refused to believe a thing he said about her. Instead, they kept on forcing him to go and see that brat, along with her demonic friend, Oz. Vincent knew full well what that kid was. Or used to be.

He had heard the name of that beast whispered in the noble court. The looks and cold glances they had sent in the direction of Jack Vessalius's son only served to confirm his suspicions. Oz wasn't just any human, he was that B-rabbit, the one spoken of in myths. He had overheard Jack and Glen talking about it one day when he was supposed to be running an errand. Vincent had decided that he should protect Gilbert from this monster.

Gilbert, for some reason that he couldn't comprehend, actually liked the little freak, and the two were friends. Strangely enough, the boy did not act anything at all like a chain. He seemed to be more like a _human. _That was weird though...weren't chains supposed to be evil and everything? Why would they be so kind and loving?

Vincent despised him because Oz had what he didn't have: family. Oz actually had a father while Vincent's own father had sold him to a freak show because of his red eyes. Everyone hated red eyes and the fact that Vincent happened to have them made it highly unlikely he would have gotten any love, any hope at all. Gilbert was the only one who really loved him, and maybe even that was fake, too-

"Vince, are you okay?" Gilbert asked, before casting a worried stare his way. Vincent's eyes softened then, for a moment.

"I'm fine, brother. Still, I can't believe that damn cat sunk his claws into me." He snapped. That little furball would pay for damaging his beautiful skin. Maybe he should rip its head off like he did with naughty stuffed animals that wouldn't behave...

"Vince?"

"_I'm __**fine." **_Vincent lied. He glared at the tower behind them. Those two rejects drove him up the wall. He was used to the harsh whispers...

"**...**Cursed child, isn't he?"

"...Is it true that he brings bad luck? He is a Child of Ill Omen after all...it makes a lot of sense."

"...Don't let Glen Baskerville hear you say that."

* * *

Throughout his life, no one had treated him kindly. Except in the Baskerville family. There were outcasts from society there, too. They all understood how he felt, all of them...that was why he thought of them as a surrogate family.

"Why do you hate Oz so much, Vince?" Gilbert asked in curiosity.

"Well...Oz is actually a demon. I heard he's B-rabbit." Vincent stated.

"That's a myth. B-rabbit doesn't exist. Besides, Oz is a very kind and gentle boy. He's never hurt anyone."

"Sure, sure...you should see how the nobles treat him when he comes by." Vincent said while slowly cutting a stuffed rabbit he was holding in his arms. "Ha, this one can be Lottie..." He chuckled.

"Vince, you might not want to do that while you're walking..." Gilbert lectured.

* * *

"Hey, if it isn't the loser twins! Did I hear my name being mentioned?" Lottie challenged. She grinned slightly at them. "Glen-sama has been waiting for you."

"Did we keep him waiting?" Gilbert asked, hoping that his master wasn't angry with him for being late.

"Yes." Lottie said.

"Now, now, Lottie, you mustn't taunt them." Fang scolded.

"But..." Lottie stopped upon seeing Vincent glare at her.

* * *

Oz stared at the girl in front of him. She certainly LOOKED like the Alice he was used to. However, his dad had told him she was her twin. "Are you really a different Alice?"

'Alice' smiled gently. "Yes. I am 'Alyss.' You pronounce my name differently. You are Oz Vessalius, I take it. Hmm, you seem familiar...somehow." She put a hand to her mouth in thought. Her gaze turned to Jack, who was watching in amusement. "JACK!"

Oz sighed. _Why isn't she paying attention to ME? _

Jack laughed as Alyss embraced him. This was how she always was towards him. Both Alices liked him, but SHE loved him the most and would do anything to win his affection. She had done everything imaginable to get him to notice her. The Abyss was quite a lonely place-so she must want companionship of some sort. Jack knew what it was like to be all alone, after all. However, he decided that both Alices should have company.

"Alyss, please be kind to Oz. He doesn't have many friends, after all." Jack informed, smiling warmly at Alyss before gently pushing her aside. "I have business with Glen."

"Don't bring that jerk in here! You know how much I hate him-"

"Which is why you're not coming. You're going to stay here with Oz while I discuss something with him. Oz, can you take care of yourself for a bit?"

Oz frowned for a moment and then smiled. "Sure."

"That's a good boy." Jack said, before messing up his blond hair with his fingers. "I'll be back shortly. You two stay in here, all right?"

Oz nodded. His gaze went to "Alyss", who had started to play with one of Alice's dolls. "Hey...um, Insertion of Abyss."

"Intention." Alyss corrected promptly.

"Right. So, should I just call you Alyss?"

"Sure. How old are you?" Alyss asked.

"Seven. How about you?"

* * *

"Um...ten, I think." She said quietly. "I lost count, actually."

"How can you say such a thing, Alyss?" He stopped upon seeing her sad look.

"I can't remember how long I've been down there. Most of my life, actually. It's quite lonely. Lots of people come to me, asking me to grant their wishes...to make them living again...but have they ever thought about MY needs? When people call me "Intention..." it feels...so inhuman. I don't think they see me as a human being." She explained.

"What do you mean? You SEEM like a human to me." Oz pointed out.

Alyss blushed a little. "I thank you, Oz Vessalius. I appreciate that. But, I am sorry to say that I do not think of myself in the same way."

Oz sighed. "Okay, how about your relationship with Alice-"

"Don't _even start _on _how much _I hate her! She's selfish and tries to steal Jack from me!"

"...Don't insult Alice." Oz said in a low voice. "Oh. Of course you would hat her."

"Yeah, she's more privileged than I am. At the moment, it seems she is quite mad, because I am flrting with "her Oz!'" Alyss joked.

Oz sighed visibly. "Maybe you should try to talk to her...you know, reason with her?"

"That doesn't do any good. She's very stubborn."

"So am I!" Oz exclaimed. "In fact, I've realized that there are a huge number of ways to sneak outside unnoticed!"

"What does the outside world look like?" Alyss asked. In truth, she had never seen those things.

"Hmm...there are lots of people. Some small and tall, even others with weird hair colors. There are animals, horses, carriages...lots of flowers."

"I know...Jack showed me some of those before! Don't you go out into town much, Oz?"

"...No. Dad doesn't want me to be seen by other people."

"Why?" Alyss asked.

"Everyone hates me. I don't understand why." Oz replied sadly. His green eyes were filled with unshed tears now.

"Because you exist...they seek to persecute you...I understand it perfectly." Alyss said sadly. "My mother was the same way..."

"What mother?" Oz asked, snapping his head up suddenly to face her.

"Nothing."

* * *

"Jack, so is Alyss talking with Oz?" Glen asked.

"Yeah...I'm just worried about him." Jack said.

"Is he really...?"

"He's not B-rabbit. Not anymore. This time, he's human." Jack whispered.

"Are you sure?" Glen asked. "I mean, no one besides us two know who he really is."

"I'm certain he will never be the demon he once was."


	4. Chapter 4 Recollections

**A/N:This is the next update for my story! I look forward to your comments and responses. Yes, Oz is B-rabbit...sort of. **

**Chapter 4 Recollections**

* * *

Jack could recall the first time he had held his baby son Oz in his hands. He had been so proud of the fact that his son had inherited his blond hair and those gorgeous green eyes from Jack himself. However, it was only a little while later that he had started to notice something odd about his infant son. He was remarkably smart for his age. He learned to walk sooner than usual, and was already talking around the time he was seven months old, much to his mother's amazement.

He remembered his late wife quite well. Rachel had been her name. It was only a short time after Lacie had died that he had met Rachel. He remembered the day quite well. He had been out walking and had stumbled across a young woman who asked for his help. She had such dashing eyes, he recalled. She had needed help because she had lost something. After some time spent looking for the lost item, they had started to talk.

Before he knew it, he saw her more often, until they decided to become more than just friends. They really had a genuine love, but he kept on seeing Lacie in place of Rachel, and he wondered if the entire reason he had fallen in love with her was because she reminded him of Lacie. She just had that same spunk, the same energy for life that Lacie had possessed.

Then they had gotten married, and before he knew it, she announced that she was pregnant. He had been both shocked and delighted. He had wanted to have a child, but at the same time he really enjoyed being single and flirting with all sorts of women, but it was nice that he would actually have a child now.

The baby had turned out to be a boy, and they had named him Oz. When he had asked her why she had called him that, she had just smiled and had said that she was really fond of that name. She didn't give specifics sometimes on why she liked things, and that was what was part of her charm to Jack.

* * *

Oz was a kind and gentle infant, but as he became older, Jack started to notice how strange his son would become at times. He could sometimes be destructive and violent and attack people for no reason. He once destroyed all of his mother's precious china when she wouldn't let him see Gilbert. He had only been _two years old, _and yet he was able to smash all of them to pieces, all with an eerie look on his face.

Rachel started to fear her child, and called him a demon in front of him. Jack refused to see his son as such. The child simply had issues, that was all. Every two-year old had temper tantrums, and Oz was not exempt from those.

However, the violent behavior escalated, and Jack believed that Rachel's abusive behavior toward Oz only served to make that worse. She started treating him badly and avoided him as much as possible. Night after night, Jack would hear Oz sobbing in his room and apologizing to his mother over and over, asking her why she hated him so much.

He pitied his son deeply, but he desperately wished his wife could grow to accept the young boy as their son, but somehow she refused to. She didn't speak of him that much. Then came one day that he would never forget. It was the day he also learned what his son _really was. _

_Flashback_

_Jack opened the door to his son's room and saw Oz just sitting on his partially made bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't doing anything, just lying there. It was normal. But something felt off..._

_"Hey, Oz. What's up?" He greeted. _

_"Hey, daddy." Oz said dully. He was surprised at the lack of emotion in his son's voice. "Can you...help me with something?" _

_Jack frowned. "Sure. What is it?" _

_"Mommy said I couldn't play with my toys in her room and called me a freak. Can you help...me...__**destroy her? Then we'll be happy. Help me destroy her." **__He stared at Jack with eerily calm eyes, and Jack noticed his eyes had changed from green to red. _

_"Oz, don't joke around like that." _

_"You're...not going to help me destroy her, daddy? Why?" Oz asked curiously, still with the innocent air of a child, but that made it all the more terrifying. _

_"Oz...don't try anything." Jack warned, but Oz disregarded him and jumped off his bed and ran down the stairs. He heard noise and realized he was coming back up the stairs. In his hands, he held...a poker. "Put that down, Oz." _

_"She's coming." Oz said dully. "She **has** to be destroyed. Watch, Daddy. I'll kill her for you." _

_He started to chuckle slightly._

* * *

_Rachel waved at her husband, and then she noticed Oz standing there, staring at her. _

_"What do you want, you freak? Get out of my way. I was just about to change your bed, but if you keep on staring at me like that, I might reconsider doing so. You'll just have to stink up your bed."_

_There was a loud crack. Oz had hit his mother's head with the poker. His mother fell but managed to regain her bearings. Oz hadn't hit her that hard. _

_"Oz, you bad boy! Why did you try to hurt your own mother, you horrible thing?" _

_Oz glowered at her and suddenly a scythe materialized and came into his son's hands. "...Die, mother." He said coldly before he lifted it up and slashed the bin she was holding in half. She jumped back in alarm and then she lost her balance...and fell down the stairs with a sickening thud. _

_Jack's eyes widened in horror. He could only stare at his emotionless three-year old, wielding a scythe and acting like a demon. What was wrong with his son? _

_Wait...was his son really...no, that couldn't be. _

_Suddenly, his son turned to face him with confused eyes. His eyes were no longer red. "Daddy, where's mommy?" He took in his mother lying on the floor. "Oh no! The big bad rabbit hurt Mommy!" _

_"What rabbit?" Jack asked. _

_"I didn't hurt Mommy! The big mean black rabbit pushed me aside and hurt Mommy with his scythe! He said she needed to die and I kept on fighting him off but he wouldn't let me take over again." Oz explained incoherently. There were tears coming down his face as he sobbed into Jack's bewildered arms. _

_"...Oz, are you really...the B-rabbit?" _

_Oz didn't answer. _

_Was it really possible that the B-rabbit was in his son? _

_So what if he was a chain? Chains still had to be treated with respect. They still had a right to be happy. He supposed that Oz had resented his mother's bullying of her and had concocted this story up as revenge, but when he spoke to Glen about it, his friend had sharply sworn him to silence about this entire incident. _

_Rachel had died instantly the second she had hit the floor. She died of a broken neck. _

_It was accidental. That was what he told himself. He had asked Oz about it later on and the three-year old only stared at him in bewilderment. His son didn't remember a thing about the events that had happened. _

* * *

So he knew his son was B-rabbit. So what else was new? He was now a human, and so he had to learn to manage the beast within and control himself. Jack didn't wish to keep him locked inside his entire life. He had managed to hire a tutor who could withstand Oz and tame him. Now Oz was completely different from how he'd been four years ago. He was now kind, loving, and gentle.

However, Jack still had to worry about B-rabbit's influence over his son. Every day he thought about the idea of that rabbit manipulating his son. When he asked him about it, Oz replied and said that the rabbit was his imaginary friend and that he was quite strong.

Jack knew now about his son's demonic side and had accepted it. Glen was still wary of Oz, but somehow the other nobles seemed to be aware of the fact that there was something inhuman about Jack Vessalius's son. He refused to take Oz out into the judgmental, cruel society of nobility. They would never accept him. Alice would.

Alice did not have a clue about Oz's abilities and Jack thought it was for the best if she didn't know.

"Jack...you know, someone has asked about you recently." Glen said quietly.

"Who?" Jack asked.

"Why, someone who claims to know your mother. Your REAL mother has apparently died recently."

Jack's eyes widened. "How...?"

"They say her chain got the better of her and she was eaten by it."

Jack felt sick. "Glen, why didn't you tell me this?"

"I knew you wouldn't want to hear it."

"Why?" Jack protested.

"Because...someone had her chain attack her."


	5. Chapter 5 Compromise

The heart of life Chapter 5: Alyss and Oz

* * *

Alyss was quite different from her sister, or so she liked to think. Even though they were both twins, they had differences. She had white hair, while Alice had brown, that was true, but their personalities were total opposites. Alice was a huge eater and could be quite a glutton at times, but she was warm and loving as well.

Alyss considered herself to be highly superior to her greedy, hoggish sister. She was prim and proper, if not a little manic about things like blood and tea parties. She wanted to be more of a true lady and Jack seemed to respect that. He liked to play with her more than with her dumb sister. In fact, the one time Alice had revealed herself to Jack, Jack seemed truly frightened and taken aback. It had made her a little shocked. To think that the eternally goofy, good-natured Jack could actually be frightened by her sister, of all people!

So even Jack Vessalius had a weakness, huh? That didn't end her love for him at all, rather her love for him increased even more. She already knew that he had been in love with her mother and his first wife, but she still loved him nonetheless. Alyss smiled to herself as she thought about all the great things Jack had done for her. He had given her companionship, friendship, love, and the world to her. Thanks to him, he opened her world up out of the lonely tower she spent most of her time in and allowed her to see out of the limited span she had of the world.

Now, looking at the young boy before her who was playing by himself, she noted again how similar they were. They had the same gorgeous blond hair like the sun, the same emerald eyes that sparkled with amusement when they were happy, and possessed the same cheery nature that attracted lots of people to them. Though, from what she had heard from her stupid sister, Oz Vessalius was not as popular with the nobility as his father.

There were whispers among them that Oz Vessalius was not human; that he was actually a monster in the guise of a human being, that he killed people he got close to...and other rumors circulated among them as well. Alice had apparently heard some of them told to her by Oswald, who had promptly dissuaded her from believing in them. She hated Oswald. He was mean and bossy and never let her do what she wanted. He never even played with her dolls, either.

"Alyss, is something wrong?" Oz asked. He stared at her in curiosity.

_Still, why does his name sound so familiar? Wasn't one of my dolls named that a long time ago? I thought Alice possessed a doll by that name a while ago. Could he really be...**that Oz? **_

She turned to stare at him in amazement. "Oz...have we met before?" What else was she supposed to say? It wasn't like she could go up to him and ask him if he had once been her stuffed doll she played with. Not only would that be incredibly rude, he could think of her as weird and stop playing with her, too.

* * *

Oz blinked. "I don't think we have met before."

"Does the name B-rabbit sound familiar to you?" Alyss pressed.

Oz frowned, and then his eyes lit up. "Yes, I _do know someone by that name. _He's my best friend!"

"Really?" Alyss said, her eyebrows creased in suspicion. She came closer to him.

Oz smiled nervously, but she could tell that she was freaking him out. How odd it was that the members of the Vessalius family all seemed capable of wearing that constant smile no matter what situation they encountered! What was it they possessed that allowed them to be so...so..._nonchalant? _

"Yeah. He has red eyes, black fur, and wears a silly bow tie. Kind of dorky, right? He sometimes helps me out. I haven't seen him lately, though." His eyes turned sad.

Alyss's eyes widened. It was just as she suspected. This boy was her old playmate reincarnate! How weird it was that someone like the B-rabbit could actually become a real boy! But why didn't he remember her?

"What's wrong, Alyss? You look like you've seen a ghost or something. Why does everyone react that way when I tell them about my friend? He's really nice. He's not a bad guy or anything, so why? Why do they all hate him so much?"

Was he really this ignorant of the being he used to be? Had Jack literally kept the truth hidden from him all this time? If so, she should tell him. It would be better if he knew the truth sooner rather than later.

"Oz, there's something you should know, about your friend. He's really-"

* * *

The door opened and Gilbert walked back in. He frowned upon seeing Alyss, but he smiled upon seeing Oz.

"Oh, Oz. I just came to apologize for the way Vincent treated you earlier. He's just jealous of you."

Oz frowned momentarily. "Didn't you come to apologize to _Alice, too?" _He suggested.

Gilbert frowned. "Oz, why would I apologize to her? She always makes fun of my little brother."

"It's because that brat causes them first! He always picks on my sister! It's not her fault he's an ill-mannered brat!" Alyss taunted.

Gilbert's eyes widened. "You have a sister now, Alice? Since when?" He scoffed skeptically.

"I am _not _Alice. I am her sister, Alyss. Ever wonder why she acts different? It's because we are connected!"

Gilbert gasped. "Are you serious? Oz, is this true?"

Oz just smiled. "Yes. I noticed now because she sounds different from the Alice I know."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Well, I'm inclined to suspect you, but since this is my buddy Oz I'm speaking to, I highly doubt you would have any reason to lie."

Oz smiled again. "So, you believe me, then?"

Gilbert smiled uncertainly. "Of course. So, is your twin any different from you, Alice?"

Alyss tensed. "I really hate you and your brother. You guys always pick on my sister and me for no good reason!"

Gilbert flinched. "I don't believe this! I guess the feeling between us is mutual, huh? Can you really expect me to lie about my feelings?"

Oz's fists tightened. "Stop fighting, you two! That won't get you anywhere."

Alyss pleaded with Oz. "But, Oz, you don't understand. His brother hurt Cheshire when Cheshire tried to protect my sister!"

Oz still didn't back down. "That's still no reason to fight. Daddy punishes me if I fight. You two have to do the same as well, okay?"

Alyss frowned at him. "But, Oz-"

"That's how we have to live. People have to get along with people, you understand?"

Alyss smiled. "Of course. But he is not welcome here."

Gilbert flinched. "I am so if I choose!"

Oz was sick and tired of his good friends fighting over him, so he chose to do something that would have been previously unthinkable to him:he slugged them both in the face.

Both Gil and Alyss flinched at the blow. "W-Why did you-" But Oz cut them off.

"Arguing is for meanies. You guys aren't mean, so why not stop and just get along?"

Gil and Alyss stared at each other for a moment, and then they sighed.

"Fine. I'll tolerate the dumb girl's presence because Oz is here." Gil said.

"Did you call me stupid?" Alyss hissed. "I am the Will of Abyss!"

"We know." Both Oz and Gil hissed.

* * *

Vincent frowned upon seeing the three of them playing happily. "Well, it figures. I can't believe my brother is playing with those freaks! Both of them! I have to tell Niisan that Oz is the B-rabbit!"


	6. Chapter 6 Oz's perspective

A/N:Sorry for the wait! I'm glad to update this story!

Chapter 6 Oz's perspective

* * *

Oz Vessalius was uncertain about what this new Alice wanted him to do. So far, all Gil and Alyss had done was argue over who would win Oz's attention first, much to his annoyance. He wished they would stop fighting over him and just get along. Unfortunately, that seemed to be nothing more than a fantasy now.

As he watched them, his mind drifted back to a time when no one but Gilbert and Alice had been his friends. He had only been five years old then. That was two years ago. He had been old enough and his daddy had decided to introduce him into the world. Oz had been so fascinated by everything he had seen and witnessed that perhaps that had been a bad thing.

* * *

The first thing he had noticed was the fact that there were so many...people in the world. Most of the time, he stayed at home and had a private tutor come over to his house and help educate him to help his studies of what it meant to be a member of the Vessalius family. He had hated the tutor and the boring lessons, but his daddy had made him do it anyway, for the sake of his "education." Whatever that meant.

So his daddy decided to take him to a ball hosted by his daddy's friend, Glen. Oz didn't really know much about the man other than that, but his friend had told him that he knew about his existence. Oz had distrusted him then. No one was going to take away his rabbit friend!

However, upon going to the ball, he had met some very nice people.

_I wonder what Daddy's up to. He was going to go play with Glen. _

* * *

Jack and Oswald were enjoying a nice conversation about many things. He talked to him about Oz's adventures with Alice, how well-behaved he was now, and many other things. He also was curious about B-rabbit.

"Glen-er, Oswald, like I'm telling you, he has changed! B-rabbit is no longer influencing his personality that much anymore. He's a kind human being now, so you can trust me when I tell you that he won't hurt Alice or you," Jack persuaded, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Oswald shook his head. "As much as I'd like to believe you, Jack, I still can't trust him. He's a chain, for god's sake. Who knows when the beast will take over and cause your loving son to turn into a monster?"

Jack shook his head. "Look, I'm telling you that he's different from how he used to be! Why not just believe in what I'm telling you, Oswald!" He yelled.

Oswald sighed. "Jack, you can't expect to tame a chian forever. When it takes over, you will have no choice but to kill him."

"I won't kill him," Jack said in a determined voice. "I would never hurt my child like that."

"What if you had no other choice, Jack? What would you do then?" Oswald challenged.

Jack fell silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "Trust me, Glen. He's different. He's not like how he was two years ago. Remember how much the nobles ridiculed him when I had him outside?"

Oswald nodded. "I think the nobles know there's something abnormal about him already. If you had already integrated him into the real world already, I don't think anyone would suspect a thing, Jack. However, when you lock a child up and never allow him or her to come out, that only makes people more curious about what's going on and what you're hiding," Oswald warned. "Just be careful, Jack."

Jack nodded. The memories of when he had first sent Oz to that party came to his mind all of a sudden.

_Flashback_

* * *

_Oz looked around in excitement at all of the people they were surrounded by. The boy had never seen so many people before in his life, and man was he thrilled and shocked! He never knew there were this many people in the "World." Was there more that he didn't understand? The boy desperately wanted to know if there were more people than he imagined. _

_"Hey, daddy, how many people are there here?" Oz asked curiously, holding Jack's hand as he did so. _

_"About a hundred or so, son. They are all from important noble families. Be well-behaved here, okay?" Jack said softly. His son nodded his head reluctantly. _

_"Hey, why couldn't Alice attend?" He asked curiously. _

_"She cannot be seen in public." Jack said simply. _

_"Why?" Oz asked innocuously. _

_"Just trust me." Jack answered again before stroking his son's blond hair. _

_"Hello there, Jack! It's been a while, hasn't it?" A silky voice uttered._

_Jack turned to see a familiar redhead headed their way. Behind her trailed another red-headed man, looking dopey and stupid. _

_"Miranda Barma, what a pleasant surprise. And he must be Arthur Barma, your brother!" Jack exclaimed, thrilled to see his friends again. _

_"Nice to meet you, Jack-sama!" Arthur said before bowing. _

_"Please. You don't need to bow to me." _

_Jack glanced at Oz, who was now hiding behind his pant leg. "It's all right. You can come out." He coaxed._

_"Oh, do you have someone with you, Jack? Let me see him." Miranda encouraged. Her eyes widened upon seeing a young boy of about five emerge, with blond hair and emerald eyes. He looked just like a young Jack! _

_"This is my son, Oz Vessalius." Jack introduced._

_"How old are you, Oz?" Miranda asked. _

_"Five!" Oz cried. _

_"You're getting old!" Arthur teased before patting him on the head and ruffling up his blond hair, much to the child's embarrassment._

_"Hey!" Oz said before smacking his hand away._

_"He's not used to physical contact yet," Jack explained. "Oz, that wasn't very nice."_

_"That man touched me and I wasn't comfortable!" Oz protested._

_"You sure are a cute fellow." Miranda said. "Is it just me or did you name him after Oswald?"_

_"You're the first person to notice that." Jack said before laughing. _

_Miranda could swear there was something familiar about the boy, but she couldn't put her finger on it. _

_Then, Oz walked around some more. _

_"Why, if it isn't Jack Vessalius! It's been a while, hasn't it?" A voice said. _

_Jack turned to see who it was and he groaned. "Not her again!"_

_"Who's that ugly lady, daddy?" Oz asked._

_"Not in front of the woman, Oz!" Jack hissed._

_The woman didn't hear them. She had long, flowing brown hair and blue eyes that were full of contempt and barely disguised hatred as she studied Jack and her eyes drifted to Oz. "Is this your son, Jack?" _

_"Yes," Jack said coldly. _

_"What's his name?" Duchess Nightray asked._

_"Oz." Jack said. _

_Duchess Nightray started to laugh. "Oh, I know why you called him that. He's not really human, is he? He's just a chain that you're pretending is your son!" _

_"That's not true!" Jack protested._

* * *

_"Oh, everyone's heard the rumors about the freak you call your son. Say, Oz-chan, do you know that your daddy has been lying to you?" She asked before tilting Oz's head up to meet her own. "You do know that you're not human?" _

_"No, I'm human. I don't know what a chain is, but I'm definitely not whatever it is."_

_"Yes, you are." She said. _

_"Tyra, enough with that talk!" Her husband, Raymond Nightray, exclaimed. "Forgive me for her rude remarks." _

_"You're a sissy, Raymond. Can't you see he's not human!"_

_"Take that back!" Oz cried before trying to hit her in the face, but she smacked his hand away._

_"DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU DIRTY LITTLE MONSTER!" She shrieked. She ran off then. _

_"Please excuse her behavior. Our family was attacked by a chain recently and all of our children were killed. Ever since then, she hasn't been the same around children."_

_"I'm not a monster, daddy." Oz said. _

_"Don't let her bother you." _

* * *

_As Raymond Nightray left, Jack spotted Oswald sitting at the table. Gilbert and Vincent were there as well. Oz sat over by Gil and Vincent. Vincent glared at the other boy. _

_"Freak." He whispered under his breath. _

_"At least I don't have weird eyes." Oz scoffed back. _

_Vincent's eyes narrowed. "Don't insult them!" _

_"Actually, they're sort of pretty!" _

_Vincent blushed upon hearing a compliment. "Maybe you're not as bad as I thought you were." _

_"Gil, how are you?" Oz asked excitedly. The black-haired boy smiled. _

_The feast began and everyone dug into their food except Oz, who had no clue how to handle it. He clumsily attempted to spear the meat with his fork and had to be shown how to do it by Jack. _

_"I get it now. You're __**not human at all, are you?" **__Vincent sneered. _

_Oz dropped the piece of steak he was holding and it fell to the floor. "What do you mean?" _

_"Don't get me wrong. You're a monster, huh?" Vincent asked. _


	7. Chapter 7 Oz's perspective, Part 2

**A/N:I am glad to update this story once more!**

**Chapter 7 Oz's perspective, part 2**

_"Don't call me a monster!" Oz exclaimed as his tiny hands clenched at their sides. He reached over to pick up another piece of steak, but Jack pushed his hand away and showed him how to pick it up properly. _

_"It's the truth, isn't it?" Vincent said gleefully. "Why is a freak like you allowed out in society, anyway?" _

_"Vince, stop it!" Gil cried before he sent an apologetic look in Oz's direction. "I'm sorry for his outburst, Oz. You know how he can get at times." _

_Oz shook his head in anger. "He just needs to learn to not call me names! I'm definitely **not **a monster!" He cried. _

_"Oz, stop. There's no need to get upset," Jack coaxed. _

_"So the little monster isn't human." Duchess Nightray sneered. _

_Oswald glared at everyone. "Enough of this talk! He is a noble and as such, he shall be treated like everyone else! I don't want to hear another cruel word said about Oz Vessalius. Do you understand me?" He said in a low voice. _

_Everyone flinched. No one wished to disobey Glen Baskerville. "Yes, Glen-sama. We understand." _

_Oswald flashed a soft smile in Jack's direction, and then turned to Oz. "You are safe now, young man. Go ahead and continue eating." _

_Vincent pouted at the fact that he had been scolded by his master, but he continued eating nonetheless. _

_"Glen, what should I do-" _

_"No, Jack. Now is not the time to chat." Oswald said coldly. _

_"But, Glen-" _

_"Not now, Jack. Just take him outside for a few moments and calm him down. He doesn't look very happy now." Oswald said astutely upon seeing Oz look like he was about to cry. _

_"Daddy, can we go?" Oz asked. _

_"Yes, we can go home." Jack said slowly before he took his son's hand and flashed a glare at Duchess Nightray, who merely smirked coldly. _

* * *

_He watched his son whimper and whine all the way home. _

_"Why do they all hate me so much?" He sniveled. _

_"It's all right, Oz. You're not inhuman." _

_"What if I'm not human? What if I'm a big, scary rabbit?" Oz whined before burying his face in his father's green jacket. _

_"No, no...you're nothing but my son, Oz Vessalius. Listen, even if you WEREN'T human...do you think everyone would hate you?" He queried, lifting his son's head up to meet his own. _

_"Probably." Oz whined. _

_"You're wrong, Oz. You will never hear me say that I hate you. Ever." _

_Father and son remained silent the rest of the way back, and as soon as they got home, Jack made dinner for Oz, and read him a book until he fell asleep. _

_He stared at his sleeping son for a long moment. It was hard for him to believe that the Bloody Black Rabbit was inside his son, sleeping in his body. That beast with black fur, blood-red eyes and a thirst for blood unlike any other chain scared him. It had been B-rabbit who had caused the death of his wife, not his son. _

_"Oz...I love you. But how can I tame your B-rabbit side without you hurting other kids?" _

_He stroked his son's blond hair for a moment. "Alice should never know about his other side." _

* * *

"Jack? Are you lost in your thoughts?" Oswald asked his friend. To be honest, he still couldn't stop thinking about his sister, Lacie. He needed to atone for his sins. He had to bring the world to Lacie.

**A/N:Oswald will be crazy here, not Jack. Just a heads-up. Oh, and Oz may end up in the future in later chapters. Hence why Zai hates him in this one will be because he is Jack's son and not his own, and the fact that he's B-rabbit. Alice may or may not steal his power. Still, Jack may live long enough to find his son again.**

"Yes," Jack said quietly. "Oswald, what am I going to do with Oz when he's older? He may not learn to interact normally with other children. "

"He's going to have to if he wants to live in Sablier." Oswald said softly. "How are his teachings with the tutor going?"

"Well, but he still refuses to listen," Jack said cheerfully. "That's Oz for you. He's just like me."

Oswald's eyes turned serious. "Listen, Jack. Wouldn't it be nice if we could see Lacie again? I feel like I have to apologize to her one last time."

"Oswald, what are you saying? She's dead." Jack replied matter-of-factly, though a part of him hoped that such a thing could be true. He knew it was impossible for her to have survived, though.

"Wait a moment, what am I saying?" Oswald corrected before he laughed it off. "Never mind, Jack. It was only a joke."

Jack frowned at his friend for a moment. "Oswald, were you serious just now?"

"No," Oswald said curtly. He started to walk away from Jack. "Check on Alyss and Oz for me."

"But Oswald-"

"Not now, Jack. I am busy with other matters." Oswald said coldly, leaving his confused friend behind.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked himself. Of course, he didn't get a reply back.

* * *

Oz frowned as Alyss drew a picture of something that looked like a black rabbit. "Is this supposed to be a picture of my friend?" He asked quizzically.

"Yes," She said before holding it up. However, his friend looked smaller and had a red coat on. "He was a dear friend to me, too. His name was...also the same as yours."

Oz raised an eyebrow. "Really? I guess we both had the same friends, then!"

Alyss frowned. Why couldn't she get him to remember?

"What rabbit friend?" Gil asked. "You have a pet rabbit?"

"No, he's my imaginary friend," Oz explained. "I also have an imaginary cat friend. Wanna meet him?"

Instantly Gil shook. "Please don't!" He cried.

"You're such a chicken," Alyss taunted. "My sister tells me all the time about how cowardly you are."

Gil fumed. "Stop calling me a chicken!"

Oz put Cheshire on Gil's shoulder, which caused Gil to shriek and run around in circles, trying to get the terrifying cat off him.

Alyss laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:This chapter explores Oz's past with Alice and Alyss and shows how his rabbit self 'disappeared.' I didn't want to give away spoilers for the chapter, so I'll just sit back and let the chapter tell you the rest. Someone told me my A/N's are too long and distracting, so I'll write more and talk less! Basically, Oz's rabbit self faded away when Jack's son was born and his essence went into Oz Vessalius's body. He won't have his powers or anything, but he does have some of his memories, like his devotion to Alice. **

* * *

**Chapter 8 Vanishing Rabbit **

Had it really been seven years since she had lost Oz? That small black bunny doll always sat in her tower, watching her with those cool, aloof red eyes. He always had funny expressions on his face, though, like whenever she'd given him tea before in the past and spilled it on him, his little arms twirled around like crazy. He would instantly calm down the second she would wipe him off and hold him in her arms and then he would smile. She would treat him gently.

Alice, on the other hand, liked to sit on Oz, liked to nibble his ear, and liked to try and bite his arms and legs off. As a result, her plush ended up getting all beaten up. But still, he loved and cared for Alice, so he tolerated it. She could still recall the day that Oz had been destroyed.

As usual, she and her sister had been fighting over Oz (though, when DIDN'T they?), and the little black rabbit had been horrified by their squabble. As usual, he didn't protest. Instead, he just let it go.

_"No, Alyss, I won't let you have Oz! He belongs to me!" Alice cried, shoving the torn-up black rabbit doll in one direction, only to pause when she saw her arm move in another direction and then she realized that Alyss was trying to drag the other B-rabbit doll down to her. _

_"I want both of them today! Seriously, why can't you understand that?" Alyss asked back. _

_"__**Calm down. I can go with either Alice." **__Oz said in his soft voice. _

_"You'll be going with me, then." Alyss said. _

_Alice puffed out her cheeks. _

_Alyss said something to Oz that Alice could barely make out. She strained to hear her. _

_"Oz, make me a promise. Whenever I'm hurt or alone or scared, can you go and save me? Will you do that?" Alyss asked gently. _

_She saw Oz's crimson red eyes light up and then a smile came on his face. "Of course, Alyss. I'd naturally do that, anyway." _

_Suddenly, Alyss noticed her rabbit cry out in pain and she realized...Oz's ear had come off. She smacked her forehead as she realized that Alice had done it to Oz. "Alice, be more careful with Oz! You just bit his ear off!" _

_Alice frowned. "I'd never do anything to hurt him intentionally!" She huffed. Her eyes widened then as she realized that Oz was fading. The little rabbit was being destroyed by something. She didn't know what, exactly. _

_Alyss's eyes widened, too, as her little black rabbit doll literally disappeared from her arms. _

_Alice started to cry as Oz disappeared entirely, too. "No...one of my only friends is gone. OZ!" She cried. _

_"He'll be back." Alyss said softly. _

_"What do you mean by that?" Alice demanded. "I'll never get another stuffed rabbit like him again." _

_Alyss rolled her eyes down in the Abyss. "You can always ask Oswald to buy another one!" _

_"Shut up. Nothing can replace Oz. If only I'd never met him. Who was I to think he was even alive, anyway? He was just a dumb stuffed rabbit!" _

_"No, no, that's not the way to be," Alyss reassured. "I'm sure he'll be back. I'm sure he'll come back." _

_She brushed away a tear from her own eyes and smiled at Alice. Alice took reassurance in that gesture and smiled as her sister held her close. _

"...Hey, Alyss, what are you getting so sad over?" Oz Vessalius asked in curiosity.

* * *

Alyss looked up into the green eyes of the boy who was now standing over her, looking worried. She realized she had been crying. "Oh," She said before looking away, "I was thinking about an old friend I used to have that I lost."

"How did you lose him? Can't you find him again?" Oz asked innocently.

"I think...he's right here in front of me." Alyss said.

"What are you talking about?" Oz asked again.

"I think your imaginary friend is my friend."

"Oh, I can ask him if you want," Oz said.

Alyss smiled then as tears came out of her eyes as she embraced the confused boy in a hug. "Oz...I thought I'd lost you forever...I mean you just collapsed in my arms. I wasn't expecting you to disappear like that. You always said you'd stay by my side. You promised us, and yet you...you...disappeared like that!"

Oz brushed away a tear with one of his fingers. "Alyss, what are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean. I'm only Oz Vessalius. You must be imagining this."

"No, you're my friend from a long time ago. You were my stuffed rabbit who disappeared from my arms!"

Gil stared at her like she was mad. "She's even crazier than I imagined."

Oz stared at her, too. "I think you just dreamed all of this. I mean, to think that I'm a stuffed _rabbit?" _He laughed, "That's so weird!"

"It's not a dream! It really did happen!" She cried. '_Why won't he believe me? It's like...it's like something won't let him remember. But why?'_

Oz just frowned and shrugged. "Why don't we get back to doing whatever we were doing?"

Alyss decided to try something else to jog his memory. "Oz, do you remember when you first met my sister?"

Oz smiled. "Oh, yeah. I met her two years ago, when I was five years old. I've been playing with her ever since."

"You knew her before that," She whispered.

"Alyss, you can be so full of it sometimes," He said.

"_It's the truth!" _She cried.

"It is useless to get him to remember. No one will believe you. He is a human now." A doll whispered in her ear.

"Shut up," She hissed.

"I think she's delusional, Oz. She's starting to scare me." Gil whined. He didn't expect to be whacked on the head by Oz.

"Shut up. Leave her alone. Shall I put Cheshire on you again, Gil?" Oz threatened, holding said black cat up, who hissed evilly at Gil.

"WAHHH!" Gil screamed. "P-Please don't!"

"Let's talk about some more interesting things, like what my daddy told me earlier. Daddy told me if I'm good, I can get some neat things tomorrow in town! So, Alyss, you can't make me be bad, because then I won't be able to spend time with Daddy!"

"You really are close with your dad, aren't you?" Alyss asked.

Oz's face turned sad. "You know, mommy died a long time ago and now there's just Daddy. I can't let Daddy be unhappy."

Gil frowned. "I really wish I knew how you felt, but my mother sold me!"

"Why would they sell you?" Oz asked.

"My brother has a red eye." He whimpered.

"Who cares about that? That's insignificant! In that case, you need to kick their butts!" He said.

* * *

"**Alyss," **A voice said in Alyss's head. She stared at her sister in the place where their souls met. **"What were you talking about earlier? What did you mean by Oz being a dear friend to you?" **

"What do you mean? Don't you remember our stuffed animals?" She inquired.

Alice shrugged. "I go through so many of them. It's hard to remember any one."

"What about a black rabbit doll?" Alyss said curiously.

"**Black rabbit? What are you talking about? I don't remember that at all! It must've been so insignificant that I forgot about it**." She chuckled dryly.

Something was just not right here. Were their memories erased or something? Surely, Alice remembered Oz. She had cried for him after all when he had disappeared. 'Could it really be? When Oz died...did he go into this child? I mean, it's been seven years, and this child is seven years old. He must have memories of our friend Oz in him. He's nothing like he used to be, though,' She thought sadly.

"Alyss, are you all right?" Oz asked. He reached out to touch her.

She slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me! I just want to be alone right now!"

"Um, is something wrong with the tea and the food? I mean, even if you're not the best cook, I'll still eat it, Alyss!" He said. "Since you're my friend and all!"

"Just shut up!" She cried. "Who do you think you're fooling with your kind nature? It just pisses me off!" Tears came out of her eyes.

Oz stared at her with horrified eyes and the teacup he was holding fell out of his hands and smashed to the floor.

Gil glared at her. "You really shouldn't say such things about Oz! He's one of the kindest people I've ever met! No one has really treated me as kindly as he has! Be grateful to him! He's a kind being! You shouldn't be so mean to him!"

"Look at him. He prefers Alice over me. That's the way it is, isn't it?"

Oz's fists tightened. "Alyss, you're wrong. I like both of you. You're both my friends. If you're upset, I'll comfort you. That's what friends are supposed to do for each other, right?"

* * *

The door opened then as Jack came in, looking distressed and confused.

"JACK!" Alyss cried before running to his side and sobbing into his shirt.

"Alyss, what are you crying for, you silly girl? You really don't need to cry."

"B-But..." She muttered incoherently.

A confused Jack looked over at Oz. "Oz, did you do something to make her cry?"

"No, I would never do that!" Oz said insistently. "She just started to cry for no reason!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Gil said, backing Oz up.

"You know, girls are girls. Maybe it's just her time of the month."

Gil and Oz blinked in confusion. "What is that?"

"Well, when girls get older, they have a certain thing they go through. Basically, it's-"

"Don't tell him about that!" Alyss whined. She was lying, of course, but Jack seemed to fall for it.

"Alyss," He said. "Glen has been acting strange lately. Be wary of him. He just dismissed me coldly."

"Why would he do that? Glen's a nice guy!" Alyss said.

"Wait, Alice, you're back in control, aren't you?" Jack said.

"Took you long enough to figure it out, didn't it, manservant?" She said before kicking Jack.

"C'mon now, let's try to get along."

"I wanna see Glen. I don't like you!" Alice pouted. "Oz, did Alyss hurt you in any way?" She said as she tackled the confused boy to the ground. "Oh, and Seaweed head is here, too!"

"My hair doesn't look like seaweed!" Gil protested.

"It sure does to me!" Alice continued.

Oz laughed. The three children laughed as the tension between them was broken.

"C'mon, Oz," Jack said before lifting him up and off of Alice. "I think we'd better head home. The sun is setting now."

"You really have to go?" Alice whined.

"I don't wanna go home." Oz whined. Upon seeing the reproachful stare sent his way by his father, he relented. "Well, I have to go home now. I have to go to bed."

"First, we're going to have dinner first, and then we're going to head to sleep. See you later, Alice. Gilbert, you'd better head back to Glen." Jack said softly.

"Okay!" Gil chirped. "I didn't really have a bad time with your sister!"

Alice smiled for the first time in a long while. "Cheshire, do you think...oh, c'mon, you always go to my sister, so why don't you come to me?"

Cheshire hissed and backed away from her. She sulked.

* * *

Oz frowned as Jack started to put shampoo in his hands. "Daddy, I really don't want to get my hair washed."

"Sorry, Oz," Jack said as he started to scrub his son's hair with shampoo. His son shut his eyes tight and pouted. 'At times like this, it's really hard to believe that he is B-rabbit. He's cute.'

"Daddy, what was wrong with Glen? You said he was acting weird." Oz asked.

"Never mind, Oz. It's nothing. He was just a little more brief than usual, you could say."

"Was he troubled by something, like you are, Daddy?" Oz said sharply.

"You are a perceptive boy." Jack said before patting his head and then dumping another bowl of water over his head, which caused Oz to pout again. "Now, now, no pouting. You have to go to sleep shortly afterwards, okay?"

"I don't wanna..." Oz moaned.

"You have to," Jack insisted.

* * *

Afterwards, Jack toweled Oz dry and then dressed him in his pajamas. "Do you want your teddy bear?"

Oz shook his head. "No, I want Edgar today!" He cried as he held the brown rabbit in his arms. "You know this brown rabbit reminds me of Alice!"

"What do you see this one as?" Jack asked as he held up a black dog plush.

"Well, that one looks like that girl Lily's pet dog, so I'll call this one...Bander...Banger-"

"Bandersnatch." Jack corrected.

"Yeah, Bandersnatch. I'll call the kitty Cheshire." Oz declared. He held out a black rabbit doll. "I'll call this one B-rabbit!"

Jack's eyes widened. "Yes, that would be a nice name for it," He said distantly.

Oz yawned. "I'm tired, daddy, read me a story."

"Okay, Oz," Jack said, wistfully wishing that his wife was still alive, because then she could tuck him into bed and read him stories. 'Being single is no way to live. I'll find someone soon.' He thought. "So, Oz, what story would you like to hear?"

"How about the story of the live rabbit?"

"You know that one by heart, Oz. The one where the rabbit wished to become human more than anything else! In the end, he did become real, but not a human. How about Pinocchio?"


	9. Chapter 9 Obsession

**A/N:Time for the next chapter of this story. I think this plunny I came up with is pretty good. Oswald will be explored a little more. He is going to be the villain in this since Jack is good. **

* * *

**Chapter 9 Obsession **

The room was barely lit as candles were the only light that could be seen. A figure swathed in black huddled around them, his mood one of silent contemplation.

"Jack."

The name slipped out of his throat like a dagger through his heart. Images of a certain blond with green eyes flittered through his mind.

"_**Jack." **_

He whispered his name again.

"Lacie."

Then, images of her, his sister, drifted through his mind; images of the black-haired and red-eyed beauty that he'd cast down into the Abyss with his own hands. He could still recall the moment where her red eyes had looked into his before she had been sent tumbling down into the Abyss, never to be seen again. He remembered how empty he'd felt, and how Jack had shown up at his estate, screaming and crying, asking why on earth he'd done such a terrible thing, and for once, Oswald didn't have an answer for him. Oswald, no, Glen, knew he hadn't been able to tell his friend anything.

Ever since, Jack had just isolated himself from Oswald by calling him Glen instead of his name. That let Oswald know only one thing, that he had made his friend terribly angry; possibly his _only _friend. Oswald really treasured Jack, and the fact that he was distancing himself from him was too much for him to take.

So, Oswald, no Glen, sunk himself down into obsession. He found himself looking deeper into the Abyss, studying chains, seeing how they came about, and then _they _were born. Alice and Alyss, his nieces. He had an obligation to Lacie to look after her daughters, but at the same time, they looked too much like Lacie for it to be a coincidence, and just looking at them every day brought back the feelings of Lacie...of _guilt. _For some reason, when he looked at them, he felt an overbearing hatred growing within him, something he couldn't control, and-

_Enough,' _ He told himself. He had no need to sink into selfish emotions like hatred. But, he thought, perhaps he could focus his hatred on something else. Something else. Something else that had been responsible for Lacie's death, responsible and yet not responsible, something else to cast his hatred towards. That was when he had spotted it.

* * *

Alice's plush rabbit doll first caught his eye when he had been giving her meat and he had sworn he saw the thing move. That thing looking at him with empty eyes...that thing that somehow, was alive. That being was cursed, Glen knew. When Alice came running to him and screaming that Oz had disappeared, Glen had felt satisfied in a way he couldn't describe.

She would no longer hold that disgusting thing in her arms. Jack had been concerned, but Oswald hadn't even blinked an eye whenever she'd come crying to him about her lost rabbit doll. He had bluntly told her to get over it. It was just a stuffed rabbit doll, after all, and it wasn't like it was alive.

For some reason, Alice had snapped then. She'd screamed at him and cried for a while before she had locked herself in her room. Jack, with some difficulty, had managed to calm her down. That was the white Alice who had done that. She hated his guts. But neither Alice would talk to him. The white Alice was crying and moaning, and of course, the dark Alice didn't want to see him or Jack after hearing of how he'd dismissed the disappearance of her plush rabbit like it was nothing. It had taken all he had to not strangle the white-haired girl.

Instead, he just let her sob like she was supposed to and let her vent out her hatred in other ways. Instead, he blamed the stuffed rabbit for everything. He blamed the stuffed rabbit for making both Alices cry. Then he'd met Jack's son, Oz.

The second he'd laid eyes on the boy, he knew there was something unnatural about it. It, not him. He called it that, because that was what it was, an it. It wasn't even human. It was nothing but a plush rabbit that had come to life, but no matter how many times Oswald told Jack that what he was pampering and pretending to love was a chain that could possibly kill him if it ever learned what it truly was.

Jack didn't listen. Instead, he dismissed his claims as idle fantasy, and told him that Oz was honestly a being, and that he wouldn't treat him like he was inhuman. Jack was foolish, foolish, foolish...

The more Jack looked into his son's green eyes, the more hatred Glen felt growing for that thing. That despicable being that dared to pass as a human; B-rabbit. Oz. 'Oz the B-rabbit,' He thought bitterly. The more he looked at that creature, the more disgust and loathing came. So when Oz had tried to introduce himself to Glen one day, Oz and Jack had definitely not been expecting him to smack Oz's hand away.

Of course, Jack had questioned Glen thoroughly about it afterwards, since his clueless son had no idea why he had just been rejected like that. Oswald had replied by asking Jack why he was keeping a creature like that as his pet. The idea of him keeping a chain as his pet and pretending that it was a child just sickened him to the core. After that, Jack had become very angry with Glen, then he had dragged it back in front of Glen and had Glen apologize to the creature. The creature had just cast clueless eyes at Glen, not really knowing what it was supposed to say.

He had told Jack to take it out of here. Of course, the creature had protested, saying that it wasn't a thing, it was a human. Glen's disdain for it grew every time it spoke. He remembered how Jack had reacted once he had taken his son out and told Lottie to watch over him, which she had done reluctantly.

* * *

_Jack turned back to Glen, his green eyes full of anger. "Glen, I have to know. Why did you call Oz a thing? He is not a thing, he is a human being." _

_Glen shook his head, glaring at Jack. "Jack, you are so naive. That is not your son. That is a chain that you are masquerading as a human." _

_"I dare you to say that again, Glen." Jack growled. _

_"I said, Jack," Glen said coolly, "that that thing is a chain. No matter how many times you deny it, you cannot hide the truth from everyone any longer." _

_At that moment, Jack had snapped. _

_"Don't call him a thing," Jack roared as he pounded his hand on the table Glen was sitting at. _

_"Jack," Glen said as he whipped his sword at Jack's face, nearly inches from cutting him, "Relax, Jack. I was only kidding. I still want to be __**friends with you.**_" _He said coolly. _

_"Why were you-" Jack started to say, but stopped. _

_At that point, Glen chuckled. "It was nothing, Jack. Go on home with your 'son'." _

* * *

Then he'd watched while Jack had taken the thing away, while the thing still heavily questioned what was wrong with Daddy's best friend, and Jack had reassured it that there was nothing wrong with him. The voice of Jabberwock entered his mind then

**"Master, why do you not acknowledge us as beings?"**

"Because," Glen said simply, "You are not beings. You are chains, valuable tools."

**"That is not true, master. We are more than that," **Gryphon interjected, "**We are beings just like you." **

"Silence," Glen said sharply. Then, just like that, the beasts fell silent. They seemed to know when they were crossing the line, and surely Jack had to know when HE was crossing the line, too. If he hadn't known that Oz was a chain, would he still have looked at the boy with cold eyes? No, of course he wouldn't have. The fact that Oz was a chain meant that he did not deserve to exist.

"**Master, you are wrong." **

**"**I told you to be silent." The creatures did not listen, somehow. They were desperate to be acknowledged, but Glen did not allow them that pleasure. Instead, Glen just sighed and turned away. The door opened then as a pinkette walked in.

"Lottie," He allowed the name to slip his grasp.

"Glen-sama, I heard that you and Jack got into an argument. Is that true?" She said softly, wondering what on earth she could do to help him.

"It was nothing, Charlotte. Now, please, leave," He said calmly.

"But, Glen-sama, I'm worried about you."

"Can you please leave me alone, Charlotte?"

"Glen-sama, everyone's worried about you. You haven't shown up at all, and it worries us."

What need did he have to care about those servants? They were his servants, nothing more, nothing less. He had no personal attachments to any of them.

"Glen-sama," Charlotte said as she approached him. "I, I feel your pain. You must be sad over losing Lacie-sama like that, but she had to go. Glen-sama, we'll never leave you," She said, trying to be reassuring in the best way she knew how.

He glared at her. "Get out."

"Glen-sama, I wanted to tell you that I lo-"

"I said I wanted you to get out. Can you not get an order when you hear one?"

"Glen-sama, something's not right with you lately. Everyone has noticed...Fang, Dug, and I...everyone's worried, and...where is Jack?" She asked, feeling an outward hint of concern for the blond man. Even though she didn't like him very much, a small part of her liked him. She had a bit of concern for him.

"Jack..." He said softly, the name going back into his mind.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

Glen glared at her. "I will not say it again, Lottie. Get out."

"Everybody's noticed how you've been acting, Glen!" She said, leaving out the honorific, leaving Glen in his thoughts.

'Perhaps I went too far,'

"Lacie."

That was when he thought of something. 'Lacie, she's still alive, isn't she? Then that is why...I will bring her back to me.'

The little voice inside of him was pleased.

* * *

Oz awoke bright and early to his father standing over him.

"Hello there, Oz. Are you feeling all right?" His father asked.

"Daddy! Didn't you go see Glen?" Oz asked.

Jack's eyes widened at the mention of the name, something that didn't go unnoticed by his son. His sharp gaze turned to his father.

"Is something wrong, Daddy?"

"No, Oz," He said softly. "There's nothing wrong at all, Oz. You want some breakfast?"

Oz's stomach rumbled and he blushed. "Yeah. Will Glen ever come over here again?"

"I don't know, Oz."

"Are you sick or something, Daddy?" Oz said before staring at his father in worry.

"Oz," Jack said, "There's nothing wrong with me. Worry about yourself, okay?"

Oz just pouted upon hearing those words. Jack just smirked. Obviously, this was a battle that Jack had won. He frowned for a moment. "Oz," He began, "Everything is all right. This is an adult matter. It doesn't involve you."

"But if Daddy is sad, then I'm worried about him."

Jack's eyes widened then. "Oz, I told you...worry about yourself, okay?"

"Okay..." Oz whined.

Jack just sighed before turning to his desk. "Now what do I do?" He said softly, "Glen won't even talk to me." '_And I can't help but think that Glen is doing more than I think he is...but what could that be?' _

* * *

_"_How was it?" Fang asked Lottie. The look on her face told him everything he needed to know. "No good, huh?"

"He hasn't been the same lately," She said.

Fang and Dug shook their heads. "Something is wrong with him."

"I know there is something wrong with him, but he's our master, isn't he? So that means that whatever he says goes, right...right?"

They stared at each other with uncertain eyes. For once in their lifetime, they didn't know whether or not they should follow Glen's orders. It was true that they were his servants, but to cast them out without so much as a word was completely out of sorts for Glen, the person who was known for his kindness.

"He took us in when there was no one else. So why on earth would he dismiss us like that?"

"There's something else going on, Lottie." Fang said softly. "Our master will need us. That's why we just have to be by his side."

Lottie smiled, feeling a little better already. "Yeah, and when that time comes, I'll be there for him."

_"That's right. We'll be there for him," _She repeated in her mind, but the words sounded hollow and empty.

* * *

The next day, Jack wasn't surprised in the slightest when Miranda Barma came to visit him. There was a worried look on her face. "What is it, Miranda?" He asked.

"Jack, I've been wanting to see you," She said softly. "Recently, my brother went to visit Glen and he was awfully cold to him. Is that like the Glen you know?"

A frown made its way on his face. "No, but then again lately he hasn't been like himself."

"Jack, is there something wrong with Glen Baskerville?"

Jack shook his head, wondering why on earth he was worrying his friend with these thoughts. "No, Miranda. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him at all."

"You're lying, aren't you? I think there is something you want to say...you just don't feel like saying it now, is that it?" She deduced.

Jack nodded. "Yes. The other day I tried to say hello to him and he completely dismissed me. Miranda, doesn't it make you feel completely useless when your best friend dismisses you like trash?" His voice cracked again.

Miranda patted his head. "Don't worry. At least you have your son. Everything will work out."

"I hope so. For Glen's sake, at least." Jack said, and then he mumbled "Lacie," under his breath.

"What, Jack?"

"Nothing. Glen kept on mentioning Lacie."

"You mean his sister? The one who died?"

"Yes."

"The one you were in love with."

"Yes. He kept on talking about her as if she were still alive. I've got a bad feeling about this. I've got to see Glen. I must see him and ask him why he is acting this way."

"You have to take care of your son first," She said, pointing at the doorway where his son was standing with interested eyes.

"Daddy, what's going on? Who's the lady here? She's really pretty."

"Oz, you know her. This is Miranda Barma."

Oz's eyes lit up. "Oh, how are you?"

"Just fine, how are you?"

"Fine, too!" Oz said, suddenly snapping out of his dark mood.

"Was he watching us?" Jack said to Miranda, who nodded.

"He's been worried about you too, you know. Perhaps, Jack, perhaps you should be looking out for your son instead of Glen."

"You don't understand. Glen is my-"

"I know. Relax. You're taking this too far."

"Yeah, daddy, we're going to see Glen again and everything will be all right, won't it?"

"Yes, it will be."

But deep down inside, he wasn't sure if everything would be all right.


End file.
